This is Natalie Portman on the set of director Darren Aronofsky upcoming supernatural thriller Black Swan. Portman plays a ballet dancer named Nina caught up in a bitter rivalry with another dancer, played by Mila Kunis, who may not be all she seems.

The movie has generated a lot of buzz due to a reportedly graphic sex scene between Portman and Kunis. The film co-stars Winona Ryder, Barbara Hershey, Sebastian Stan, and Vincent Cassel.

The pictures aren’t too exciting, but I know you guys like masturbating looking at Natalie Portman so here you go:

Platinum Dunes remake of the 1984 Wes Craven classic A Nightmare on Elm Street wrapped production earlier this year and is set for theatrical release on April 30, 2010. However, after screening the film for test audiences in Los Angeles, producers have decided to shoot an entirely new scene for the flick.

A casting call has been issued by the studio to find actors to play minor roles in a diner scene. Parts include a 40-something waitress, a 50-plus diner owner with a weathered face, and two teenage patrons. Most movie fans will take this news to mean that there was something wrong with the movie, but I am more prone to believe that there was something wrong with the test audience.

You see, people who attend test screenings (in LA anyway) are hardly ever the brightest peanuts in the turd. Usually, they’re the ADD-riddled, ghetto-fabulous kids and twenty-something high school dropouts who only go to the movies to text and talk on their iPhones. Let’s hope these idiots are playing a role in what you and I end up seeing at the theater.

Casting begins this week for producer Peter Jackson and director Guillermo del Toro’s long-awaited adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Auditions will be held in Los Angeles and London and are open to all actors. With the exception of Ian McKellen’s Gandalf, all parts are up for grabs, including story hero Bilbo Baggins.

What we’ve done over the years is discover a lot of interesting actors, like Orlando Bloom (in ‘Rings’), Kate Winslet (in ‘Heavenly Creatures’), Saoirse Ronan (in ‘The Lovely Bones’). So if you start looking and auditioning seriously, it’s amazing what incredible talent you’ll find out there.

Jackson stresses that he is under no obligation to hire established actors and will not consider doing so until a complete “casting sweep” has been done.

He says:

(These movies) have never been a star-driven vehicle. The star is (author J.R.R.) Tolkien and the world he created. We are not under any pressure. We want to find the right people. Casting someone to portray a hobbit is not as easy as you might imagine. They have to have a particular type of physical appearance and a sensibility. And the same with an elf or a dwarf. These are fantastical characters, but you’ve got to find the right people to play them, the right humans to translate these characters.

The Hobbit will be released as two separate films and will be shot back-to-back. Jackson, along with del Toro, Philippa Boyens, and Fran Walsh, have already completed the script to the first part and are at work on the second, which they aim to turn in to film backers Warner Bros. and MGM later this month. So, when will production start?

Jackson says:

We were always planning to shoot around April or May next year, and as far as I’m aware, we’re pretty much on target for that. It depends on how quickly the studio greenlights the film. It’s not in our hands. But as long as we‘re shooting next year, we’re fine.

In space, no one can hear you scream. In your living room, it will be an entirely different story when Electronic Arts finally releases Visceral Games’ sequel to their chart-topping horror-survival game Dead Space. E.A. has issued a press release announcing that production on Dead Space 2 has officially begun and will feature new weapons, Necromorph monsters, and plot twists.

Dead Space 2 executive producer Steve Papoutsis says:

We’re thrilled to jump back into the series, making the next chapterin Isaac’s journey. The infection continues to spread throughout space and our hero Isaac Clarke is the only person able to contain it. There are still loads of Necromorphs that need killing. In Dead Space 2, not everything is exactly as it seems. Expect plot twists that will surprise you and a huge cast of twisted, disgusting monsters that are sure to scare the daylights out of you.

Nick Earl, senior VP and group general manager for E.A., adds:

Like so many gamers worldwide, we love the Dead Space franchise and are very excited to announce a new game in the series. Visceral Games is quickly becoming known for delivering high-quality, action-packed games. Dead Space 2 is on target to deliver a jaw-dropping experience gamers won’t soon forget.

Dead Space 2 will be available for the PS3, XBox 360, and PC. More information to come.

As part of its ongoing 20th anniversary celebration, Empire magazine has lined up an impressive group of Hollywood A-listers to photograph in homage to the iconic movie characters they have made famous. Not surprisingly, many of those memorable roles come from the horror, sci-fi, and fantasy genres.

Empire launched in July of 1989 and is currently the bestselling film publication in Britain. The magazine is best known for its ongoing series of “Ten Best …” lists. To see all the photos, you can visit the mag’s website here.

If you’re feeling kind of tired and don’t feel like clicking over to Empire, then just relax where you sit and check out this sample gallery: